1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to the field of memory arrays and, in particular, to apparatus and methods for stringing wires through such memory arrays.
2. Prior Art
Memory arrays, especially memory arrays comprising a plurality of ferrite cores, have become an extremely important part of modern computer and processing technology. These arrays which contain hundreds of thousands of ferrite cores must have wires strung therethrough in order to write information into and read information out of the array. In a typical array the cores are arranged in rows and columns and are placed on edge at a 45.degree. angle to the longitudinal and transverse directions of the rows and columns. Wires are then strung through the cores in the directions of the rows and columns in order to be able to change the direction of magnetization of a particular core, and store, or write, data in the core and to be able to read data out of the core by determining the direction of magnetization of the core.
Because of the extremely large number of cores involved in the array, it is desirable to be able to automate, as much as possible, the wiring of the array in order to reduce the cost of producing such array. Many stringing devices have been developed which are capable of driving the wires straight through the core arrays and then terminating the wires after they exit from the array. In a number of arrays, however, the wires leaving from a section of the array must be redirected back into another section of the array, as, for example, an adjacent section in the opposite direction, in a weaving pattern, with eight or more feet of wire being needed to accomplish the total wiring free of kinks or tangles. It has been found, however, that the stringing devices currently being used are not capable of handling the above type of weaving pattern and the stringing of cores with such a weaving pattern has remained to present a hand task.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved stringing device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a stringing device which can string a multiplicity of wires through an array in a plurality of directions.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stringing device which can string a continuously turning multiplicity of wires having an extremely long length and maintain them free of kinks or tangles.